1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a continuously variable transmission.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known continuously variable transmission comprises driving and driven cone pulleys and a V-cross sectioned belt (referred hereinafter as a V-belt) interconnecting the pulleys, wherein drive is transmitted from the driving pulley to the driven pulley. Each of the pulleys has an axially fixed cone pulley disc fixed on a shaft and an axially movable facing cone pulley disc slidable on the shaft. The axially movable cone pulley disc is controllably moved toward and away from the axially fixed cone pulley disc to change a drive ratio.
In the known continuously variable transmission, the drive (engine power) is transmitted to the driving pulley on a driving shaft via a torque converter. Thus, drive is transmitted to the driving shaft even at idling operation of the engine owing to the provision of the torque converter. Therefore, it has been a conventional practice as disclosed in Tokkai (laid open Japanese patent application) No. Sho 55-63051 to provide a friction clutch in order to interrupt the transmission of drive for the purpose of providing a neutral state.